#328: Combining Mixtures
1. It is permitted to add solids to a thick mixture on Shabbat if one performs a shinui when stirring. No shinui is needed when pouring in this case because pouring does not form the mixture into a unit when both parts are solid. Accordingly, one may blend small pieces of vegetable into an egg salad that was already prepared before Shabbat and use one of the shinuim for mixing/stirring. It is also permitted to combine two already formed mixtures of the same consistency together (i.e., if both are thick or both are thin). For example, one may mix a prepared egg salad with tuna salad or other salad since both are considered thick mixtures. However, one may not mix a thick mixture together with a thin mixture, since this may still involve losh (Orchot Shabbat, ch.6, n.41).
2. It is permitted to add liquid to an already fully formed mixture. This is because losh involves using liquid to bind together small particles of solid, and adding liquid in this case has the opposite effect of losh (Biur Halachah 321:15). For example, one may add milk to a thick cereal to give it a more liquidy consistency. One may also stir the mixture after pouring in the liquid. However, if some of the particles of the mixture were not properly mixed originally, then stirring the mixture after pouring in liquid may violate losh because of the particles that were not mixed. Therefore, one may only mix it using one of the three mixing rules of shinui discussed in previous posts.
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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.
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